‘We will punish those who violated the Constitution’
Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal on Sunday accused former prime minister Imran Khan of “playing with Pakistan’s interests” to keep his “failed politics” alive.
Addressing a press conference in Lahore, the minister said the National Security Committee twice dismissed the possibility of any foreign conspiracy, however, “Imran Niazi is playing with national interests to keep his politics alive.”
“If Pakistan wants to be a strong country, we need to have a strong economy,” he said. “That can only happen when we align ourselves with the global economy.”
In his presser, Iqbal alleged that when the PTI was in power, it had hampered the CPEC’s progress and soured ties with the European Union, the United States and even brotherly Muslim countries, risking the isolation of the country.
He said he does not want Pakistan to turn into Cuba or North Korea. “We have to set Pakistan on the path of [development, like] Malaysia, Turkey, China and South Korea.”
“When a no-confidence move was brought against him, he encouraged the deputy speaker (Qasim Suri) to violate the constitution and then portrayed him as a hero,” the minister said, referring to Imran. “Such people are no heroes, they’re criminals. And there will be action against them,” Iqbal asserted.
The minister defended the Supreme Court for its order that saw Imran ousted through a parliament vote after his move to dissolve the National Assembly was reversed by the top court.
“The apex court fulfilled its duty and no one has the right to point fingers at the institution,” he said.
The PML-N leader also accused the PTI of trying to pressurise the Election Commission of Pakistan in an alleged attempt to influence the foreign funding case.
Iqbal termed the frequent mentions of “conspiracy” by the ex-PM the “rona-virus”, vowing the country would move forward and the coalition government would fix all issues facing the country. Iqbal also alleged that Imran sold Toshakhana gifts abroad, thus bringing disrepute to Pakistan. He said the masses would be given relief in “some time”, adding the first priority of the government was to overhaul the economy.
